04/09/2026
WORK THE GARDEN AND KEEP IT
When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, He gave him a clear mandate: "Work it and keep it" (Genesis 2:15). In the original Hebrew text, to work means to serve and cultivate. For anyone who thinks God has changed His mind or abandoned this original plan, the burden of proof rests on them.
Heaven was never Godโs primary destination for mankind. God Himself dwells in heaven, but He placed man on earth to steward it. As the Psalmist louds out, "The heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to the children of man" (Psalm 115:16). The Psalmist also wrote, "The righteous shall inherit the land" (Psalm 37:29). Even in the Book of Revelation, John did not see believers floating away into the sky. He saw a New Heaven and a New Earth coming down to us (Revelation 21:1-2). John noted that in this renewed creation, there was "no more sea"โsymbolizing an end to wahala (trouble). Remember, it was a sea storm that once threatened the lives of the disciples as they sailed to preach the Gospel (Mark 4:37-39). Johnโs vision confirms that God is renewing all things, not abandoning His original purpose for us to care for the earth.
Adam was not focused on escaping to heaven. He was grounded in his earthly responsibility. Going to heaven was out of the picture because God came down to fellowship with him right in the garden (Genesis 3:8). As Scripture says, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men" (Revelation 21:3).
Adam's charge to keep the garden was not just about trimming flowers or watering plants. It was about caring for Godโs entire creation, including fellow human beings. The Hebrew word radah, translated as "to have dominion," simply means to govern as God's representative (Genesis 1:26-28). But that authority is expressed through abad, which means to serve.
God does not operate an earthly office where we check in for shifts. Instead, He calls us to care for His garden by loving our neighbors as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39). The entire ministry of Jesus centers on this truth when He said that whatever you do unto the least of these, you have done unto Him (Matthew 25:40).
True dominion is occupying until the Master comes (Luke 19:13). Jesus warned of the unfaithful servant who abused his fellow workers because he thought his master was delayed, and that servant faced harsh judgment (Luke 12:45-46). Instead, Jesus taught us how to truly care for the garden: when you throw a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, and those who cannot repay you (Luke 14:12-14). This is what it means to work and keep the garden today.
At Christian Faith Ministries, this understanding drives everything we do. We spend our resources on others rather than ourselves. We are not just looking up at the sky; we are God-minded and active on the ground. Ironically, only those who are busy occupying until He returns are truly heavenly-minded. Anyone who possesses this worldโs goods and ignores a neighbor, an orphan, or a widow remains far from the Kingdom of God (1 John 3:17, James 1:27).
Are you busy keeping the garden, or are you just planning to escape it?
